A true friend of man

South Africa has made an indelible impression on my life over the past 25 years.  I've written about it several times in this blog and given my reaction to the ground-breaking World Cup event that was held there in 2010.  Several times, Jane and I have been able to "live" there for extended periods of time since 1990. And I was working there when Nelson Mandela was elected president in 1994.

South Africans seem to view life from a high plateau.  They have a different set of values than most of us and their world revolves on a slightly slower axis.  Nelson Mandela was South African through and through.

I was fortunate to encounter the great man on a number of occasions. The first time is as clear to me today as when it happened.  In the movie “Invictus”, Matt Damon’s character is summoned to the Capital in Pretoria to meet the new president.  He pulls up in a dated automobile and enters through a grand set of doors.  When I was producing and promoting a solo yacht race around the world, we were the first international event to come to South Africa after Mandela’s election. Through our major sponsor, I received a similar invitation to come to the Capital and we drove in a slightly more upscale car to the very spot where Matt arrived in the movie.

The Jacaranda that Pretoria is known for were in full bloom.  The air was sweet with their aroma. When we entered the building, there was a definitive lack of hustle and bustle. We walked down a long hallway to the office of the minister of sport and talked for a while about the impact and global attention that our event would bring to Cape Town and the country. Midway in our meeting, the door opened and, without ceremony, Nelson Mandela entered the room.  He was dressed casually, wearing loafer-style shoes that looked like slippers.  We were introduced and he was told why we were there.

When I had the opportunity, I told him I was from Seattle and that I was president of the board of the Seattle Central Community College Foundation, because I knew he was acquainted with my good friend Charles Mitchell.  He said had been there to see Charles, who was president of the college at that time.

Our yacht race was a bit controversial down there because of the elitist reputation of big events like the America’s Cup.  I spent some time explaining  that our race was a “Corinthian” endeavor which anyone with the right skills could enter.  Some of our entrants sold their houses and cars to become a part of it and others saved their money for years just to compete.  He smiled and said “That is good.”

His presence was powerful and calming.  He spoke quietly and succinctly. When it was clear he was leaving, I realized that without my camera, I had no way of commemorating this extraordinary connection.  The entire meeting was very unceremonious.  But I couldn't resist so I opened my reporter’s notebook that I used to chronicle the meeting and asked him if he would autograph one of the pages for me.  His face lit up with that familiar big grin and he said, “You don’t want my signature.  I’m not special.  Ask the next person you see on the street to sign. It is those people who are important to this country.”  Wow! What else can I say.

He said he hoped to see me again and that someday we might meet in Seattle. We did have that meeting years later at Seattle Central Community College on a very heartwarming occasion that was all about children and education...two of his and my favorite subjects. And he convincingly said he remembered me.

Cape Town is such a beautiful and magical city. After the meeting, he cleared the way to make our event there successful, thanks primarily to the wonderful group of South Africans who made up our local committee.  They are great friends to this day and have taught me so much about their country that it feels like home.

Nelson Mandela is gone now.  We have lost a great leader.  I have lost a hero who gave me a new vision of what our world could be. His aura has influenced my approach to the problems faced by our society on so many occasions.  We have all changed a great deal since he was released from prison.  We’ll never be the same.  I just hope we can be better.  He wanted that desperately. I am so fortunate to have met him along the way.  I will never forget "Madiba".